Wednesday, March 18, 2015

Five Favorite Mysteries . . . by Marcia Wells *PLUS A GIVEAWAY!

Know any young mystery fans? Looking for a fast-paced page-turner that they won't be able to put down? Then you're in luck! Today Marcia Wells, author of the highly praised Eddie Red Undercover mystery series, is here and she's sharing her five favorite middle grade mysteries!

"Mysteries come in all shapes and sizes. There are police crime stories and detective who-dunnits, ghost hauntings and supernatural thrillers. This is true from middle grade all the way through adult novels. It's difficult for me to narrow my favorites down to a Top Five, but I will say that it is crucial to read a lot of kinds of mysteries to see which type grabs you as a writer.

The latest EDDIE RED UNDERCOVER mystery! Coming this April!

Here are five very different mysteries that have helped me on my mystery-writing journey:

5.
Belly Up

by Stewart Gibbs

Here's what Amazon says: Twelve-year-old
Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt Fitzroy believes that Henry, the hippopotamus
at the brand-new FunJungle, has been murdered. The zoo’s top brass
claim the hippo went belly up the natural way, but Teddy and his feisty
friend Summer McCraken have other ideas. I loved the zany setting, as
well as the unusual stakes involved. A cranky hippo that has a long list
of enemies? Brilliant. Teddy is a charming character and there are a
lot of cool zoo details.

4. The Cavendish Home for Boys and
Girls

by Claire Legrand

Kids go in to the home and never come
out...need I say more? Talk about a spooky mystery! The author maintains
a fabulous amount of creepy tension without making it too scary for
young readers. Great pacing and suspense.

3. Hoot

by Carl Hiassen

This book is a great example of a police crime mystery for kids. There's a new kid in town and he's thrown into a world of bullies, alligators, eco-warriors, pancakes, and pint-sized owls. The mystery is funny as it is compelling. It has a boy protagonist, but also switches to a few adult POVs as the plot thickens. It's brilliantly woven together, and won the Newbery Honor Award.

2. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

by J.K. Rowling

We all know about Harry Potter and his magical world. But each book also contains a TON of mystery. From the first pages, multiple mysteries are introduced and woven throughout the book for an incredible page-turner. If you want to study great pacing, reread the Harry Potter series with mysteries in mind.

1. Three Times Lucky

by Sheila Turnage

Moses LoBeau lives in the small town of Tupelo Landing, NC, where everyone's business is fair game and no secret is sacred. When a lawman comes to town asking about a murder, Mo and her best friend set out to uncover the truth in hopes of saving the only family Mo has ever known. This book has it all! Fabulous tension, amazing voice and endearing characters, all set in a town that's both spooky and charming. No wonder it won the Newbery Honor Award!"

*AND NOW ... GIVEAWAY TIME! FOR A CHANCE TO WIN A COPY OF MARCIA'S EDDIE RED UNDERCOVER: MYSTERY ON MUSEUM MILE, TELL US YOUR FAVORITE MYSTERY IN THE COMMENTS SECTION!

THE WINNER WILL BE ANNOUNCED ON MARCH 25th!

................................

About Marcia Wells

Marcia Wells is the author of
the Edgar-nominated middle grade mystery series EDDIE RED UNDERCOVER. In a former life
she taught middle school math and Spanish. She lives in New England with her
family, and knows entirely too much about chickens, pigs, and Nerf sword
fighting. To learn more about Marcia and her books, visit her website.

About Marcia's books

EDDIE RED UNDERCOVER:

MYSTERY ON MUSEUM MILE

Illustrated by Marcos Calo

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, March 2015

ISBN-13 978-0544439405

Art, mystery, fun and friendship, combine in this illustrated middle grade series debut.

“This is a strong start to a promising new series, and as Eddie would say, it’s über-cool.” — Booklist

Now that he has become the NYPD’s youngest crime-solving hero, Eddie Red
and his best friend Jonah are ready to relax on a family vacation to
Mexico. But when Eddie’s father is falsely accused of stealing, what
they find is another complex mystery. Can Eddie – with his artistic
talent and photographic memory – and Jonah uncover clues and catch the
real crook in time?

"All three kids
are realistic and likable. . . . Fast paced enough to keep
those who crave adventure turning pages. Refreshingly, this book
features an African American protagonist." —School Library Journal

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What’s The Little Crooked Cottage? Well, it’s home to two children’s book authors -- Anika Denise and Jamie Michalak, librarian Melanie Roy -- and a pig. It’s also the name of a children’s book blog dedicated to celebrating authors, illustrators, and their creations!